Agro-Science Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment and Extension Volume 7 Number 2 May, 2008 pp ISSN

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1 148 Agro-Science Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment and Extension Volume 7 Number 2 May, 2008 pp ISSN URL: THE FEEDING VALUE OF PROCESSED VELVET BEAN (Mucuna pruriens) FOR PULLET CHICKS Ani, A.O. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria. Nsukka, Nigeria. ABSTRACT A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of processed velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) on performance and haematological parameters of pullet chicks. Mucuna bean seeds were soaked in an aqueous solution of potassium bicarbonate (K 2 Co 3 ) at room temperature (22-24 o C) for 24 hrs. After discarding the soaking solution, the seeds were cooked with water for 80 minutes, sun-dried for 48 hrs, milled in a hammer mill and used to formulate the experimental diets. Five pullet chicks starter diets were formulated to contain 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% levels of processed Mucuna seed meal (MSM), respectively. Ninety 4-week old black Harco breed of pullet chicks were randomly divided into 5 groups of 18 chicks each. Each group was randomly assigned to one of the five treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Results of the feeding trial showed that there were significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in final body weight (FBW), average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and FCR. There were also significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in PCV, Hb, relative liver and small intestine weights and cost of feed per kg weight gain. Chicks fed 15 and 20% processed MSM diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher FBW, ADWG, ADFI, and PCV than chicks fed control diet (0% MSM). Chicks fed 20% processed MSM diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher Hb and lower cost of feed per kg weight gain than chicks fed control diet. The relative organ weights of chicks fed control diets were similar to chicks fed other diets. There was no chick mortality throughout the experimental period. The results revealed that up to 20% processed MSM could be included in pullet chicks diets without any deleterious effects on chicks. Key words: effects, growth performance, pullet chicks, feeding, velvet bean. INTRODUCTION Intensive poultry production has been identified as one of the means of attaining sufficiency in the supply of animal protein to the diets of average Nigerians (Ani and Adiegwu 2005). However, intensive poultry production in Nigeria has been greatly affected by the high cost of feeds and feed ingredients, especially the conventional energy and protein feed ingredients like maize, soybean cake, and groundnut cake. A possible solution to the escalating cost of these ingredients is to explore the potentials of alternative feedstuffs as part replacement for the more expensive conventional feed ingredients. The alternative vegetable protein being considered in this study is velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens). Mucuna pruriens is an important cover crop in many parts of the world. The foliage is frequently fed to grazing animals and the beans are sometimes eaten by humans and animals (Buckles, 1995; Camara et al., 2003; Muinga et al., 2003). In Nigeria, Mucuna is cultivated in southern and middle belt states (Onweluzo and Eilitta, 2003). However, there is a low sustained interest in Mucuna cultivation due to its low utilization as food and feed, and subsequently the lack of market for the beans (Eilitta and Carskey, 2003). Besides, the use of Mucuna either as human food or as animal feed is limited because the raw seed contains such antinutritional factors as trypsin inhibitors, tannins, and cyanogenic glucosides (Ravindran and Ravindran, 1988); anticoagulants (Houghton and Skari, 1994); analgesic, antipyretic and antiinflammatory factors (Iauk et al., 1993); L-dopa (3, 4 Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine, a potential neurotoxic agent) and others (Olaboro, et al., 1991; Hussain and Manyam, 1997). The feed potential of Mucuna can be enhanced by reducing these antinutritional factors to safe levels either by boiling and roasting or by

2 The Feeding Value of Processed Velvet Bean (Mucuna Pruriens) For Pullet Chicks 149 fermentation (Mary-Josephine and Jonardhanan,1992). This study therefore was undertaken to investigate the effect of dietary inclusion of processed velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens on performance and heamatological parameters of pullet chicks. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiment was conducted at the Poultry Research Unit of the Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The velvet bean seeds used for the research were the cream-coloured variety bought at Nkwo Ibeagwa market near Nsukka, Enugu State. Processing of Mucuna seeds Oil palm fruit bunch was burnt to produce an ash. Five litres of water was slowly added to every kg of the ash to produce a filtrate. An aqueous solution of potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) was prepared by mixing a litre of the filtrate with 4 litres of water. Mucuna seeds were soaked in the aqueous solution of K 2 CO 3 at room temperature ( C) for 24hrs in the ratio of 1kg seeds to 3 litres of the solution. The soaking solution was discarded and the seeds were cooked in water for 80 minutes. Timing was taken from point of boiling (about 100 o C). The seeds were sun-dried for 48 hrs, ground in a hammer mill and used to formulate the experimental diets. Formulation of experimental diets Five pullet chicks starter diets were formulated to contain 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% levels of processed Mucuna seed meal (MSM), respectively. The composition of the diets is presented in Table 1. Experimental design, animals and management Ninety 4-week old black Harco breed of pullet chicks averaging g body weight were randomly allocated to the five dietary treatments with 18 chicks per treatment in a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 6 birds per replicate and housed in 2.6m x 3m deep litter pens of fresh wood shavings. Feed and water were offered ad libitum. The birds were properly vaccinated and subjected to standard pullet chicks management procedure. The experiment lasted for a period of 5 weeks during which feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratios and protein efficiency ratios were monitored. Table 1: Percentage composition of experimental diets Ingredients Mucuna seed meal level (%) Maize Soybean meal Mucuna pruriens Wheat offal Palm kernel cake Fish meal Bone meal Methionine Salt Vit. Mineral premix a Total Calculated analysis Crude protein Energy (Kcal of ME/Kg) 2,833 2,868 2,902 2,938 2,973 Cost of diet N/tonne 51,651 50,472 49,311 48,125 46,950 Cost differential (N) a supplied per Kg of diet: VitaminA,4,000,000IU; VitaminD 3,8,000,000IU; VitaminK,900mg; Thiamine, 1700mg;VitaminE 8,000IU; Riboflavin, 2,000mg; Pyridoxine,1,100mg; VitaminB12, 6mg; Niacin, 11,000mg; Panthothenic acid, 3000mg; Folic acid, 3,000mg; Biotin, 20mg; Choline chloride 160g; Anti oxidants, 50mg; Manganese 32g; Zinc 20g; Iron 8g; Copper 2g, Iodine 480mg; Selenium 80mg; Cobalt 80mg

3 150 Ani A.O. Haematological evaluation During week 5 of the experiment, blood was collected from three birds per treatment. The blood, which was collected from the wing vein of each bird, was used for haematological analysis. Packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration (Hb) were determined by the methods described by Ugochukwu (2001). Proximate and statistical analysis Proximate analysis was carried out on the raw and processed MSM and on the experimental diets according to AOAC (1990). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (Steel and Torrie, 1980). Significantly different means were separated using Duncan s New Multiple Range Test (Duncan, 1955) as outlined by Obi (2002). RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS P roximate composition of raw and processed Mucuna seed meal (MSM) The proximate composition (Table 2) of raw and processed MSM was as follows: moisture, 9.6%, crude protein (CP), 21.3%; ether extract (EE), 7.6%; crude fibre (CF), 2.6%; ash, 2.8% and nitrotgen-free extract (NFE), 56.1%. The processed MSM had 8.9% moisture, 19.6% CP, 8.4% EE, 3.8% CF, 3.3% ash and 56.0% NFE. The gross energy values for the raw and processed MSM were 4.33Kcal/g and 3.85Kcal/g, respectively. The crude protein value (21.3%) obtained in this study compares with the crude protein values of such legumes as pigeon pea, 25%; jackbean, 25.6%; snap bean, 16% and lima bean, 23.6% (Johnson, 1974; Obioha, 1992). The value also compares with the value (21.0%) reported by Bressani (1993). The differences observed may be attributed to varietal and geographical differences. Geographical and varietal differences have been reported to cause differences in the nutrient compositions of certain legumes and oil seeds (Okorie and Anugwa, 1987; Amaefule and Obioha, 1998). It could be observed (Table 2) that the CP of raw bean differed from that of the processed bean by 1.7%. The observed difference may be attributed to leaching of soluble protein into the cooking water. This suggestion agrees with the report of Ani (2002) that showed that cooking of castor oil bean led to the solubilization and removal of some nitrogenous substance in the castor oil bean. The soluble carbohydrate level (56.00%) is adequate as a source of energy in livestock diet. Table 2: Proximate composition and energy content of raw and processed Mucuna bean seeds Raw Treated Components (%) Content Content Dry matter Crude protein Ether extract Crude fibre Ash N-free extract Gross energy 4.33 Kcal/g 3.85 Kcal/g Table 3: Proximate composition of the experimental diets Dietary levels of processed Mucuna seed meal (%) Components (%) Dry matter Crude protein Ether extract Crude fibre Ash Nitrogen-free Extract Growth performance and haematological characteristics of pullet chicks fed processed Mucuna seed meal. Table 3 shows the proximate composition of the experimental diets while the data on growth performance and haematological parameters of pullet chicks fed varying dietary levels of processed MSM are presented in Table 4. There were significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in final body weight (FBW), average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Chicks fed 10, 15 and 20% processed MSM diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher FBW than chicks fed the control diet. Chicks fed 15 and 20% processed MSM diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher ADWG and ADFI than chicks fed control diet. The feed conversion ratios of chicks fed 5 and 10% MSM diets were significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of chicks on the control diet. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences among treatments in protein efficiency ratio, but significant (P<0.05) differences existed among treatments in packed cell volume (PCV), and haemoglobin concentration (Hb). Chicks fed 20% MSM diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher PCV and Hb than chicks fed 0 and 5% MSM diets. There was no mortality in all the treatments. It was observed (Table 4) that birds fed 15 and 20% processed MSM diets had higher ADFI than those fed 0% MSM diet. This contradicts the earlier report of Ukachukwu and Szabo (2003) that broiler chicks fed % processed MSM had similar fed intake with those fed control diet (0% MSM). The result also

4 The Feeding Value of Processed Velvet Bean (Mucuna Pruriens) For Pullet Chicks 151 contradicts the findings of Feirriera et al.(2003) and Iyayi and Taiwo (2003) that broiler chicks fed 18 20% processed MSM diets had lower feed intake than those fed control diet. The observed differences may be attributed to differences in processing methods. Ukachukwu and Szabo (2003) processed their Mucuna seeds by boiling for 45 minutes with addition of 4% wood ash, while Feirriera et al.(2003) and Iyayi and Taiwo (2003) used roasted MSM. It seems that the processing method (boiling for 80 minutes after soaking in an aqueous solution of K 2 CO 3 ) adopted in the present work enhanced chicks intake of dietary MSM. Although chicks fed 0% and 20% MSM diets had similar FCR, the chicks fed 20% MSM diet had faster growth rate than those fed control diet (Table 4). This result contradicts the findings of Feirriera et al.(2003), Iyayi and Taiwo (2003) and Ukachukwu and Szabo (2003) that chicks fed % processed MSM diets had lower weight gain than those fed 0% MSM diet. Depression in feed intake and weight gain of birds fed high levels of processed MSM had been attributed to the effects of residual antinutritional factors (tannins, hydrocyanic acid, phytic acid, L-dopa and lectins) present in processed MSM (D Mello and Devendra, 1995; Carew et al., 2002). Grant (2002) showed that lectins in particular exert their antinutritional effects by causing reduction in nutrient absorption by the intestinal villi. The processing method adopted in the present work may have contributed to the effective detoxification of the Mucuna seed used, hence, the observed improvement in the growth performance of chicks. Data on PCV and Hb (Table 3) showed that chicks fed 20% processed MSM diet also had higher PCV and Hb than chicks fed control diet. However, the PCV values ( %) and Hb values ( g/dl) obtained in the present study compare with the PCV value (23.13%) and the Hb value (7.51g/dl) reported by Olorede and Longe (1999) for pullet chicks in humid tropical environments. The values also fall within the normal PCV range (30% to 33%) and Hb range ( g/dl) reported by Swenson and Reece (1993) for chickens. The results obtained in the present study strongly suggest that Mucuna seed soaked in aqueous solution of K 2 CO 3 and boiled for 80 minutes can be incorporated into the diets of pullet chicks without adverse effects on chicks. Table 4: Performance and haematological parameters of chicks fed varying dietary levels of alkalitreated and cooked Mucuna seed meal a ab Dietary levels of processed Mucuna seed meal (%) Parameters SEM Av. Initial body eight Av. Final body d 721.6b cd a ab weight (g) 0 abc Av. Daily b ab a a a 0.62 weight gain b (g) Av. Daily c 48.72b c feed intake (g) b c Feed 3.14 a 2.91 b 2.91 b 2.92 b 2.97 a 0.06 conversion ratio Protein efficiency ratio Mortality PCV(%) 21.5 c 22.5 bc b 27 ab 29.5 a 1.83 Hb (g/dl) 7.15 b 7.50 b 8.00 ab 9.0 ab 9.85 a 0.64 a,b: means on the same row with the different superscripts are significantly (P<0.05) different. SEM = Standard error of mean Organ Percentage and intestinal length of chicks fed processed MSM diets Table 5 shows the relative organ weight to body weight and the intestinal length of chicks fed varying dietary levels of processed MSM. There were significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in relative weights of liver and intestine to body weights. Chicks fed 10% MSM diets had significantly (P<0.05) higher relative liver weight than chicks fed 15%, while chicks fed 20% MSM diet had higher (P<0.05) relative intestine weight than chicks fed 5 and 10% MSM diets. However, chicks fed 0% MSM diet had similar relative organ weights and intestinal length with chicks fed diets containing 5, 10, 15 and 20% MSM). It could be observed that the values of these organs did not follow any particular trend with the levels of inclusion of processed MSM in the diets. Besides, the results contradict the reports of Carew (1998b) and Carew et al.(2003) that intake of raw, unprocessed velvet bean by growing chicks led to increase in relative heart, liver and gizzard weights and lengths of small and large intestines. Liver size in particular is known to increase in response to several factors, especially deficiencies of protein and amino acids (Velu et al., 1971) as cited by Carew et al (2003). It is evident from the results that the processing method used might have played a significant role in detoxifying the Mucuna seeds, and in improving the quality and utilization of the MSM protein. c

5 Ani A.O. 152 Table 5: Percentage organ weight to the body weight and intestinal length of growing chicks fed varying dietary levels of alkali-treated and cooked Mucuna seed meal. Dietary levels of treated Mucuna seed meal (%) Parameters SEM Gizzard weight (%) Heart weight (%) Intestine 9.26 ab 8.58 b 8.35 b 8.90 ab ab 0.53 weight (%) Liver weight 5.36 ab 5.08 ab 5.75 a 4.28 b 4.94 ab 0.32 (%) Intestine length (cm) a,b: means on the same row with the different superscripts are significantly (P<0.05) different. SEM = Standard error of mean Table 6: Effect of varying dietary levels of alkali-treated and cooked Mucuna seed meal on economy of chick production Dietary levels of treated Mucuna seed meal (%) Parameter SEM Total feed intake 1.32 c 1.36 bc 1.38 bc 1.50 a 1.43 ab 0.02 (Kg) Total cost of feed ab ab b a b 1.15 consumed per animal (N) Cost of daily feed 2.45 ab 2.46 ab 2.43 b 2.58 a 2.40 b 0.04 intake (N) Total weight gain (g) b ab ab a a Cost of feed/kg a ab ab b b 5.97 weight gain a,b,c: means on the same row with different superscripts are significantly (P<0.05) different. SEM Standard error of mean. Cost of feeding processed MSM diets to pullet chicks Data on cost of feeding processed MSM diets to pullet chicks are presented in Table 6. There were significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in total feed intake, cost of total feed consumed per animal, daily feed cost per animal, total weight gain and cost of feed per kg weight gain. Total weight gain and total feed intake followed the same trend with daily feed intake and daily weight gain (Table 3). Chicks fed 15% MSM diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher cost of daily feed intake than chicks fed 10 and 20% MSM diets. The cost of feed per kg weight gain of chicks fed 15 and 20% MSM diets was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of chicks fed control diet. The cost of feed per kg weight gain was observed to decrease with increase in the level of processed MSM in the diets. The significant reduction in cost of feed per kg weight gain at 15 and 20% levels of MSM inclusion in the diets may be attributed to the outstanding growth performance of chicks. The result shows that cost of production, especially feed cost can be reduced by the inclusion of 15 to 20% processed MSM in pullet chicks diets. CONCLUSION The result of the feeding trial revealed that up to 20% processed Mucuna seed meal can be included in the diets of pullet chicks without any deleterious effects on chicks. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Chizoba Omelagu. REFERENCES Amaefule, K. U. and Obioha, F. C. (1998). The substitution of pigeon pea seed (Cajanus cajan) for groundnut cake

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